Unexpected Second Chance at Love
Chapter 972 - 972: He knew…

Inside The Regal, Ji Chu Hua remained seated, her expression twisted with rage. Her eyes burned with venom, reflecting how deeply her failure stung. She had thought persuading Yue Ling would be easy, but her every move had backfired.

Through the window, she watched Yue Ling calmly enter her car and drive away, as if completely unaffected.

Ji Chu Hua's hands curled into trembling fists, her nails digging into her palms as she let out a bitter laugh.

"You leave me no choice, then."

Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. It rang twice before connecting. Before the person on the other end could speak, she snapped coldly:

"Do it. The plan I sent you—do it now."

She ended the call immediately, rising from her seat with calculated poise. Her eyes lingered momentarily on the empty spot where Yue Ling had sat, and a cruel smirk curved her lips.

"Don't blame me for not warning you, Han Yue Ling."

Turning on her heel, she strode away from the table. Her carefully crafted image—graceful, poised, elite—had been her armor since youth. She had always gotten what she wanted. Always. She attended every elite event, hoping to run into Lu Tian, crafting her path toward him.

Yet, no matter what she did, Lu Tian never noticed her.

But Yue Ling?

She got everything.

What did Yue Ling have that she didn't?

Her heels clicked sharply across the polished floor as she exited the lounge and went to her car, anger simmering beneath her surface. All that was left now… was to wait for the phone call confirming that everything had been handled.

Oblivious to the threat creeping her way, Yue Ling drove back to the Ji Mansion. She wasn't sure how she made it there—the road blurred beneath her tires, her hands trembling on the wheel—but she arrived.

Housekeeper Hu greeted her at the entrance, concern etched across his face. But she neither heard nor saw him.

Her steps were steady, but her mind was a storm.

She moved through the house like a ghost, climbing the stairs with purpose. Each footfall echoed, as if time itself had slowed around her. The golden light spilling through the windows couldn't reach her—darkness crept in at the edges of her vision, threatening to swallow her whole.

The words from the diagnosis report replayed in her mind like a broken record:

Positive Diagnosis: Cardiovascular Disease

They struck her repeatedly, each time sharper than the last. Her hands began to tremble. Her vision blurred, but she refused to let the emotions surface.

It's not true.

It's a lie—just another trick from Ji Chu Hua to get her to leave Lu Tian.

Her grandfather was fine. Healthy. Still full of life.

He had to be.

Yue Ling stopped in front of the door to his study. Her heart pounded like thunder in her ears as she stared at the wood in front of her, willing it to give her strength.

All she had to do was open it.

And find out the truth.

Everything around her became a blur. Thoughts clashed in her mind like a storm, drowning out the world. Time itself seemed to halt.

The only sound she could hear was the deafening thump of her heartbeat.

With trembling hands, Yue Ling reached for the door and pushed it open.

The study was shrouded in darkness, the only light seeping in from the hallway behind her. It cast long shadows across the room, making everything feel colder, heavier.

Her legs felt like stone—each step forward a battle against an invisible force dragging her down. It was as if the floor had turned to quicksand, pulling her deeper with every movement.

But she pressed on.

She reached the desk and stared at the drawer on the right. Her hand hovered over it, hesitating for just a breath—then she pulled it open.

And there it was.

The document.

The proof.

The cruel truth that shattered her heart more than anything else ever had.

Her bluish-green eyes trembled, caught in the storm of emotions raging within her. Slowly, she reached for the paper and lifted it with shaking hands.

Line by line, she read it. Again and again, as if forcing the words to carve themselves into her mind.

Her fingers clenched tighter, the paper crumpling at the edges under the pressure. Then, a sound escaped her lips—a soft, broken laugh filled with disbelief and pain.

Her knees buckled beneath her.

She collapsed to the floor, the paper still clutched in her hand like a cruel tether to reality.

Staring into the space ahead, her eyes lost focus, her expression hollow, like a soul stripped bare and left wandering in the aftermath.

How could his health decline without her knowing?

Who else knew?

Was she the only one left in the dark?

Did everyone in the Ji Mansion know?

How did Ji Chu Hua know… and not her?

Did her brother know?

Did Lu Tian? The Lu family?

The questions came in waves, crashing against her already fractured heart.

But the one that echoed the loudest, repeatedly—the one that pierced the deepest—was just one word.

Why?

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, lost in the darkness of her grandfather's study. Time felt meaningless, her thoughts tangled in a web of disbelief and pain.

Faintly, from downstairs, she heard the front door open, followed by Housekeeper Hu's familiar voice.

"Old Master, Mr. Lu, you've returned. The Young Miss is upstairs."

Her head turned slowly toward the open study door, eyes blank, expression dazed. The sound of footsteps echoed through the house, growing closer.

Without realizing it, she rose from the floor and stepped into the hallway.

With slow, heavy steps, she walked forward until she came face to face with the two men who meant the world to her.

Grandfather Ji was whispering something to Lu Tian, likely a reminder to keep their earlier conversation secret. When Housekeeper Hu mentioned Yue Ling was upstairs, Grandfather Ji's heart lifted. He changed into his slippers and made his way up, Lu Tian following close behind.

But as they reached the top of the stairs, their smiles faded.

Yue Ling stood outside the study like a statue carved from pain—her eyes hollow, the crumpled medical report still clenched in her trembling hand.

"Ah Ling, you're here…"

Grandfather Ji smiled, taking a step toward her.

"You should have called me. If Lu boy here hadn't—"

His words caught mid-sentence.

The moment he saw her face and her expression, his heart skipped. His eyes dropped to the paper in her hand.

And everything shattered.

"Ah Ling…"

He whispered, frozen in place. His voice trembled, the rest of his words dying before they could form.

Yue Ling stared at him, searching his face, looking for the truth she had missed. The dark circles under his eyes, the slight stiffness in his movements. How had she not seen it before?

How blind had she been?

Tears stung her eyes as she tightened her grip on the paper. She forced a small smile—a smile more painful than tears.

"How long?" she asked softly.

Grandfather Ji didn't need to ask what she meant. His shoulders slumped as he let out a long, weary breath.

"Five years," he said quietly. "It was five years ago when I found out."

Her heart cracked.

The tears in her eyes welled to the brink. Her voice broke as she spoke again, each word carrying the weight of betrayal and heartbreak.

"Why?"

A pause.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

All this time, she had been living her life—laughing, planning her future, moving forward—completely unaware of her grandfather's declining health.

They met often. Shared meals. Laughed together. And never once did he think to tell her.

Did he plan to only tell her when it was too late?

Grandfather Ji's heart ached with guilt. Seeing the pain in her eyes—eyes that once sparkled with warmth toward him—was a punishment in itself.

He looked at her, forcing a fragile smile.

"I didn't expect you to find out like this," he said quietly. "I was going to tell you…"

Yue Ling's lower lip trembled. She turned away from him, eyes shifting to Lu Tian.

The moment she saw the guilt in his expression, her heart sank even deeper.

Her breath hitched. Then she let out a soft, bitter laugh filled with disbelief.

"You knew?"

Lu Tian met her eyes. He didn't try to defend himself. He didn't try to offer empty comfort.

He looked at her—his wife, the woman he swore to protect—with guilt carved deep into every line of his face.

He closed his eyes and drew a silent breath, bracing himself.

Then… he nodded.

The silent confirmation shattered something in her.

She took a stumbling step back, instinctively recoiling. Both men instinctively stepped forward, alarmed—but she raised a trembling hand, halting them.

Her head shook, disbelief written in every motion.

"You both… You kept this from me?"

Her voice cracked.

"Why?"

She asked the question in a whisper, so soft it was unclear if it was meant for them or herself.

He knew…

He knew her grandfather was dying, and not once did he think to tell her. Had he ever planned to? Or was he going to keep it to himself until it was too late?

Without another word, Yue Ling turned and walked away. Her steps were slow, her figure composed, but the weight in her heart made every movement feel like wading through grief.

She didn't look back.

She needed air, space, and to breathe without feeling like she was drowning in betrayal.

Grandfather Ji stood frozen at the top of the stairs. The moment she passed him, he closed his eyes in anguish.

He had wanted to protect her. That was all. But everyone who had warned him and told him she deserved to know had been right.

It was too late to take it back now.

At the sound of the front door, Lu Tian didn't hesitate. He rushed down after her, catching up just as she stepped outside. His hand reached out and caught her wrist.

"Yue Ling, wait."

She didn't look at him. She shook her head, her body trembling.

"If you love me, you will let me go."

Her voice cracked around the word, and when she finally turned to face him, her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"I want to be alone."

Lu Tian's heart clenched hearing her use his love for her against him. He stared into her eyes, into the storm of pain and confusion swimming in them. His grip around her wrist tightened instinctively.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I—"

She shook her head again, cutting him off. Her lips trembled, but she forced a fragile smile.

"Please…"

Just that one word, again.

Lu Tian pressed his lips together. Everything in him wanted to keep her close, to make her understand, to protect her from breaking apart—but he knew he had no right.

Not after this.

Slowly, reluctantly, he loosened his hold and let her go. He'll follow her from a distance even if he lets her go. He can't let her roam the streets mindlessly.

Yue Ling looked at him one last time, reading the guilt and sorrow carved into his face.

Then, without another word, she turned and walked out of the house, leaving behind the two people who had kept the most painful truth from her.

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